1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a technically implementable method for searching for a reference pattern in a search field.
2. Description of the Related Art
Pattern in the sense of the present description is understood as any two- or multidimensional representation of physical variables or general sensory information. A pattern in this sense can therefore be characterized by a two- or multidimensional matrix of predetermined parameters. A corresponding statement also holds for the search field which thereby constitutes a two- or multidimensional representation of physical variables or sensory information. The aim is to use the reference pattern in the search field by using the pattern searching method. In this case, in addition to the reference pattern it is also possible for other, partially very similar patterns, which are termed distracters, to be present in the search field.
It is known from the prior art to utilize findings from neurosciences (neuroinformatics, neurobiology) with regard to an efficient search operation, since biological neurosystems such as, for example, the human brain generally accomplish pattern searching tasks efficiently.
The following text states the prior art, which constitutes various approaches known from the neurosciences.
Two principle types of search or recognition are distinguished, specifically the attribute search and the conjunction search (compare A. Treisman and S. Sato, “conjunction search revisited”, Journal of Experimental Psychology; Human Perception and Performance, 16, 459–478). In the case of an attribute searching task, the target object is distinguished from the distracters by only one respectively identical attribute type (termed parameter below), for example only in shape. It is to be noted here that in the following description the term parameter characterizes, for example, the shape, color or size of a pattern, for example large and small for the size parameter, triangular, rectangular and round for the shape parameter etc., which represent values which the parameters can assume. These values are represented in a coded fashion in the case of a technical implementation, for example by logic signals.
In a conjunction searching task, the distracter objects are combined into various groups. The target pattern is distinguished from each distracter group by one parameter, but not from all distracter groups by the same parameter. It is possible, for example, to distinguish between a standard and a triple conjunction search. In a standard conjunction search, there are two distracter groups, which have two parameters in each case, and the target pattern has in each case a parameter value common to each distracter group. In a triple conjunction search, the target pattern can be distinguished from all distracter groups by one or more parameters.
A model has been proposed in which there is initiated after a first parallel search a competitive search which is terminated by the recognition of only a single pattern, specifically the target object (M. Usher and E. Niebur, “Modeling the temporal dynamics of IT neurons in visual search: A mechanism for top-down selective attention”, Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 8, 311–327). The model is based in this case of a neuro approach for object- orientated recognition, various visual stimulation values such as, for example, shape, color, size etc. being represented by mutually competing cell arrangements which are mutual inhibitory.
A disadvantage of the prior art set forth above is that available solutions for technical realization or implementation of the pattern searching operation do not play a role in this case. This problem exists in general when an appeal is made to non-technical fields such as neurobiology, when implementing technical systems.